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In Death #27.5
Suite 606
#1 New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb presents four stories of paranormal desire and suspense—featuring a Lieutenant Eve Dallas novella.In J. D. Robb's "Ritual in Death," Eve Dallas plunges into the violent aftermath of a ritualistic murder—and into the mind of an alleged witness who can’t remember a thing to save his life. Mary Blayney's "Love Endures" investigates a deception that has kept two lovers apart for years.Ruth Ryan Langan's "Cold Case" brings a lost man out of a storm to face a breathtaking twist of fate. And Mary Kay McComas's "Wayward Wizard" follows a mother, her son, and a wizard lost through the threads of time.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2008
422 people are currently reading
3269 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Robb
178 books35.3k followersJ.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Stolen in Death (St. Martin's Press, February 2026) will be the 62nd entry in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
October 30, 2008
How in the heck do I rate "Suite 606"? This is a collection of four paranormal romantic suspense stories by four different authors, and I had four very different reactions.
First up (and the overwhelming reason to buy this sucker) is J.D. Robb's "Ritual in Death". Here we're treated to the latest doings of Eve and Roarke. When the glittering society party Roarke and Eve are attending is interrupted by the appearance of a very nude, very bloody man with a knife, Eve thanks whatever god is watching out for her and kicks into action. The corpse appears to have been a victim of a ritual sacrifice of some sort and Eve may have to resort to some extremely unorthodox techniques to catch this killer.
"Love Endures" by Mary Blayney is a historical about love betrayed and love regained...with the 'help' of a not-so-helpful ghost.
"Cold Case" by Ruth Ryan Langan tells of a modern burned out, bummed out cop and his arresting, and haunting vacation.
And the book closes with "Wayward Wizard" by Mary Kay McComas, another contemporary story about an estranged mother and child and the wizard whose unexpected appearance helps bridge their gap.
As expected, I LOVED Robb's story and for Eve & Roarke fans, this one alone makes shelling out the cash for the book woth every penny! Next best for me was a tie between Mary Blayney's story and "Wayward Wizard" even though both heroines took a bit of warming up to. As for Langan's story, it didn't particularly sit well with me and the ending was a bit jarring.
First up (and the overwhelming reason to buy this sucker) is J.D. Robb's "Ritual in Death". Here we're treated to the latest doings of Eve and Roarke. When the glittering society party Roarke and Eve are attending is interrupted by the appearance of a very nude, very bloody man with a knife, Eve thanks whatever god is watching out for her and kicks into action. The corpse appears to have been a victim of a ritual sacrifice of some sort and Eve may have to resort to some extremely unorthodox techniques to catch this killer.
"Love Endures" by Mary Blayney is a historical about love betrayed and love regained...with the 'help' of a not-so-helpful ghost.
"Cold Case" by Ruth Ryan Langan tells of a modern burned out, bummed out cop and his arresting, and haunting vacation.
And the book closes with "Wayward Wizard" by Mary Kay McComas, another contemporary story about an estranged mother and child and the wizard whose unexpected appearance helps bridge their gap.
As expected, I LOVED Robb's story and for Eve & Roarke fans, this one alone makes shelling out the cash for the book woth every penny! Next best for me was a tie between Mary Blayney's story and "Wayward Wizard" even though both heroines took a bit of warming up to. As for Langan's story, it didn't particularly sit well with me and the ending was a bit jarring.
June 25, 2020
This collection of four stories was entertaining. I'm not a fan of anthologies in general since they are too short, but every so often, I still give them a chance.
August 24, 2016
This is a collection of short stories that all have ghostly or supernatural connotations to them. I picked up the book to read the first story which was a novella from the In Death series by JD Robb and it was very interesting. While it won't kill the series if you miss it, it is entertaining. Most of the stories were entertaining, but I just wasn't that into them. It took me forever to finally read all the stories in the book as I kept picking up other books that were more interesting. If you have nothing else to read, this selection will fill your time, but if you cherish your reading time...find something else.
May 24, 2019
Like many, if not most, who read this, I pretty much got it for the Eve Dallas story that leads it off. I'm a huge fan of the series and the characters, and enjoy that world enough to stop by for a shorter visit. Eve gets "rescued" from a dinner party when a very naked man shows up with a bloody knife, more than enough to get the attention of the bored, kick-ass detective. The case leads to a ritual murder and elements of the supernatural you don't generally find in the "...In Death" series.
The second story, Love Endures, seems to be related to another short I read in a different anthology, with a magic coin playing a big part in the paranormal romance story. There's a ghost and some kind of deal with a powerful entity, as well.
Cold Case is about a burned out cop, haunted by his partner's death. He goes away to heal and gets into an accident because of a storm, seeking shelter in a strange place with odd inhabitants (shades of Rocky Horror). It's fairly predictable.
Batting clean up, Wayward Wizard features a woman trying to mend her relationship with her son, a not entirely competent wizard, and sort of cameos by the other three stories. It was all right, but not great.
The JD Robb was the best of them, and I'd say Wayward Wizard was second. Probably only recommend to JD Robb fans and completists.
The second story, Love Endures, seems to be related to another short I read in a different anthology, with a magic coin playing a big part in the paranormal romance story. There's a ghost and some kind of deal with a powerful entity, as well.
Cold Case is about a burned out cop, haunted by his partner's death. He goes away to heal and gets into an accident because of a storm, seeking shelter in a strange place with odd inhabitants (shades of Rocky Horror). It's fairly predictable.
Batting clean up, Wayward Wizard features a woman trying to mend her relationship with her son, a not entirely competent wizard, and sort of cameos by the other three stories. It was all right, but not great.
The JD Robb was the best of them, and I'd say Wayward Wizard was second. Probably only recommend to JD Robb fans and completists.
January 18, 2020
Do not like J. D. Robb at all but this book was saved by the three other contributing authors who saved this book.
May 24, 2017
I only read "Ritual in Death". It was good. Not great. Satanic theme again. Very rushed.
October 31, 2022
1.) Ritual in Death 4,5/5
2.) Love Endures 3,25/5
3.) Cold Case 2,25/5
4.) Wayward Wizard 3/5
2.) Love Endures 3,25/5
3.) Cold Case 2,25/5
4.) Wayward Wizard 3/5
April 7, 2009
I only read the story by J.D. Robb. I glanced at the other three, but they're primarily romance stories, which do NOT interest me.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for Nora Roberts. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for Nora Roberts. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
March 10, 2016
I read this because I am addicted to the Eve Dallas series by J. D. Robb. That story was good, but limited by the short 85 pages. I've never read the other authors before and I realize they too were dealing with space limitations. But Mary Blayney's story actually managed to be extremely boring and tedious in a mere 79 pages. Ruth Ryan Langan's story was plain awful. The main character is supposedly the best homicide detective, specializing in closing cold cases, that his department has ever seen. And yet he is steadfastly clueless through the entire story and when it finally wraps up, he doesn't close the case. The final story by Mary Kay McComas was better, but barely. Her similes kept pulling me out of the story, "Seconds crawled by like so many snails in a gastropod parade, one after another, and they began to sense he'd move on undetected." And, "Like the practiced thieves that they weren't, the three of them slipped around the immaculate little kitchen like eels at the bottom of the sea, skirting the old woman as if she were a rock, snagging bread and little cakes and a jar of plum preserves that threatened to send Nester into a visual orgasm on the spot." Give me a break! I only recommend this for the J. D. Robb story. Don't bother with the others.
March 2, 2009
Like all of the anthologies in this series by J. D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas, the Robb and McComas stories are the best—and the chief reason I buy these books. Robb because I'm a long time fan, and McComas because she has a wonderful flair for character and puts them into some cleverly imaginative stories. I really wish she wrote more, but alas, these anthologies seem to be her main output. The Blayney and Langan stories are sometimes okay, but not generally much beyond that.
In this particular anthology, they decided to group the stories around the theme of a mystic Suite 606, plus using some time-traveling characters from Mary McComas's story. Both elements appear in each story, sometimes significantly, sometimes only in passing. Robb used them to best effect, I thought. I found the Lanyan and Blayney stories particularly lackluster and particularly predictable this time out. Even the McComas story wasn't her best—but again, her great touch with character and imagination saved the day for me.
In this particular anthology, they decided to group the stories around the theme of a mystic Suite 606, plus using some time-traveling characters from Mary McComas's story. Both elements appear in each story, sometimes significantly, sometimes only in passing. Robb used them to best effect, I thought. I found the Lanyan and Blayney stories particularly lackluster and particularly predictable this time out. Even the McComas story wasn't her best—but again, her great touch with character and imagination saved the day for me.
January 4, 2009
Barely readable. The only story I was able to finish was "Ritual in Death" by J.D. Robb, and even then I felt short changed. Eve was just surly (well, more than usual), and poor Roarke was reduced to silliness.
I found the writing of "Love Endures" by Mary Blayney very poor, and the characters were all unlikeable. If this story is representative of her writing, I will not pick up any more.
"Cold Case" by Ruth Ryan Langan was somewhat better, and the story was interesting, but I found the emotional development of the leading chracters totally ridiculous. I got fed up halfway through and skimmed pages to the end.
Didn't even try the Mary Kay McComas selection.
Bottom line...If you want to read it, borrow it from your library. My copy is going to my nearest secondhand store the first chance I get.
I found the writing of "Love Endures" by Mary Blayney very poor, and the characters were all unlikeable. If this story is representative of her writing, I will not pick up any more.
"Cold Case" by Ruth Ryan Langan was somewhat better, and the story was interesting, but I found the emotional development of the leading chracters totally ridiculous. I got fed up halfway through and skimmed pages to the end.
Didn't even try the Mary Kay McComas selection.
Bottom line...If you want to read it, borrow it from your library. My copy is going to my nearest secondhand store the first chance I get.
March 30, 2010
I'm marking this as fantasy, though I don't think that's quite the right category. It's a set of four novellas/short stories all involving "Suite 606" in some fashion. I picked this up because it has an Eve Dallas story by J.D. Robb, which is a pen name of Nora Roberts'. This is a series about a cop in the future, so far I haven't read any of these books but I have been curious. I thought a short story would be a good way to sample it.
Well, I enjoyed the J.D. Robb story but the other three were ridiculous. Poorly written, no character development, really lame and way-too-speedy relationships (ie, "we have exchanged three phrases and known each other less than an hour but I would die for you!") contributed to a lack of enjoyment of the last three stories. I contemplated not even reading them but I kept telling myself "they can't ALL be that bad". Ha! Turns out they were.
Well, I enjoyed the J.D. Robb story but the other three were ridiculous. Poorly written, no character development, really lame and way-too-speedy relationships (ie, "we have exchanged three phrases and known each other less than an hour but I would die for you!") contributed to a lack of enjoyment of the last three stories. I contemplated not even reading them but I kept telling myself "they can't ALL be that bad". Ha! Turns out they were.
March 14, 2010
JD Robb's Eve Dallas story (Ritual In Death) was the main reason I read this compilation. Love that series.
Mary Blayney's Love Endures fell flat for me in regards to both the characters & the storyline. And the mention of the magic coin... I think this story was a play on one she might've had in a previous compilation I've read.
Ruth Ryan Langan's Cold Case was lame. Didn't care for the characters or the storyline.
Mary Kay McComas' Wayward Wizard started out slow but somewhat redeemed itself with the cameos of Eve Dallas, the ghost from Mary Blayney's Love Endures, & the fire from Ruth Ryan Langan's Cold Case. Clever.
Mary Blayney's Love Endures fell flat for me in regards to both the characters & the storyline. And the mention of the magic coin... I think this story was a play on one she might've had in a previous compilation I've read.
Ruth Ryan Langan's Cold Case was lame. Didn't care for the characters or the storyline.
Mary Kay McComas' Wayward Wizard started out slow but somewhat redeemed itself with the cameos of Eve Dallas, the ghost from Mary Blayney's Love Endures, & the fire from Ruth Ryan Langan's Cold Case. Clever.
September 17, 2012
Again, an anthology with one good one, one ok and the rest throw-away. The JD Robb was up to her standard. I can't figure why she publishes with other writers.
The last one by Mary Kay McComas was at least worth the first read and it was cute how she tied all the others to her story.
The one by Mary Blayney was terrible. We are supposed to have heard of some centuries-old mythical room, "Suite 606" where fantasies come true. STUPID, BADLY WRITTEN!!!
Ruth Ryan Langan's - not much better. The only tie to Suite 606 is a double-booked hotel room.
JD Robb should publish singly or multiple of her stories together. Get these other authors off of my bookshelves.
The last one by Mary Kay McComas was at least worth the first read and it was cute how she tied all the others to her story.
The one by Mary Blayney was terrible. We are supposed to have heard of some centuries-old mythical room, "Suite 606" where fantasies come true. STUPID, BADLY WRITTEN!!!
Ruth Ryan Langan's - not much better. The only tie to Suite 606 is a double-booked hotel room.
JD Robb should publish singly or multiple of her stories together. Get these other authors off of my bookshelves.
December 7, 2016
Here again the Robb story was great, but the others weren't really up to much. Notas bad as those in the last anthology I read with (I think) all the same writers.
And this one had the added problem of everyone having to work a "suite 606" into the story and it seemed artificial and forced.
I can't decide whether it's Robb that comes up with these strange ideas and much less readable authors or her editor or publishing company, but from here on in I'm not even going to try and read the others.
And this one had the added problem of everyone having to work a "suite 606" into the story and it seemed artificial and forced.
I can't decide whether it's Robb that comes up with these strange ideas and much less readable authors or her editor or publishing company, but from here on in I'm not even going to try and read the others.
September 5, 2015
I brought this book thinking it was a J.D. Robb book, however it is a collection of short stories, with three other authors, Blayney, Langan and McComas. Of course I enjoyed the first short story, as it was a Lt. Eve Dallas story. The others, were o.k. not my cup of tea. Fast read.
April 20, 2009
Only the first story is great. The others are just o.k.
December 26, 2008
Robb's Eve Dallas story was good, but all the other stories were truly terrible. I'm so glad I didn't buy this book.
May 29, 2009
for the love of all this is holy Nora Roberts please stop publishing your wonderful novellas with the rest of this pablum as it fills me with an unholy rage.
June 4, 2009
The only novel worth reading in this anthology is J.D. Robb's.
November 12, 2009
The only story I enjoyed out of this was the J.D. Robb; everything else was a waste of time.
January 9, 2011
This was just okay for me. I borrowed the book just so I could read the JD Robb novella. Not memorable at all.
April 11, 2012
Thought it was great. I loved how the last story ran through all the rest.
Read
August 7, 2015A great novella in the In Death series
August 1, 2016
The first story by J. D. Robb wasn't so bad. The other three were terrible and contrived.
October 17, 2016
I loved the J.D. Robb story!
December 1, 2014
I enjoyed the J.D. Robb In Death story, but I really didn't like the others.
December 23, 2012
Judging by the cover of this book, this could've been a horror anthology or perhaps a mystery anthology. Actually, it's a bit more accurate to call it a paranormal romance anthology. I picked this up because of the story by J.D. Robb - I have never read anything by the other authors. Overall, this anthology is kind of strange and uneven. Those who persevere are in for an interesting surprise, but there wasn't a single story in this anthology that I felt was outstanding.
"Ritual in Death" by J.D. Robb
Eve Dallas is at a party with her husband when, surprise surprise, a disoriented man turns up, covered in blood and holding a knife. The man, a doctor, has recently killed a woman in Suite 606 in one of Roarke's own buildings. As Eve investigates, she discovers that the man is, in his own way, a victim too, unwillingly made to take part in some kind of satanic ritual. Because the murder happened in Roarke's hotel and involved the compromising of his usually tight security, Roarke conducts his own investigation, bringing in Isis, the witch from Ceremony in Death. Eve isn't happy, but she'll take whatever information she can get if it can help her bring down the people involved in this murder.
It's not a great story, but it's got the usual "in Death" feel. Except, you know, for all the psychic stuff. Usually, Eve does more investigating than this - you might think the psychic help was intended to speed things up, since short stories have greater limitations than novels, but Isis's help was never actually used. All she did was confirm what Eve had already figured out. A bit lame, if you ask me. I had almost forgotten that Isis existed, actually, and found the "something" between her and Roarke to be somewhat annoying. By the way, these satanic killers were a bit stupid, if they could be so easily caught. Also, Eve and Roarke's sex scene in the police station shower - huh?! It's incredibly out of character for Eve, who still flinches at the thought of her coworkers catching her kissing her husband. Sex in the showers at work is edging towards the realm of sex on her office desk - true, Roarke needed some time with her, but was this really necessary? Yes, this is a romance anthology (not that you can tell from the cover), but the sex felt tacked on and, if you know anything about the characters, inappropriate.
"Love Endures" by Mary Blayney
Summer is not surprised that her husband Reggie is off somewhere, either drinking or gambling the family's money away. She is shocked, however, when Lord Stephen Bradley shows up to tell her that he was killed by thieves. She's not sure how she will cope. She has a young daughter to take care of, Reggie's debts to pay off, and less money than she tries to let on. Things only get worse when she finds out that her husband's ghost is haunting his bedroom - apparently, he can't leave until the wrongs he did while he was alive have been taken care of, because he made some kind of deal with a demon (or spirit, or angel). Summer is desperate to get him to leave, because his presence reminds her of all the ways he hurt their family - while he was alive, his charm tended to override her anger, but his charm doesn't seem to work on her the way it once did. One debt she swears she will take care of is the 150 pounds Reggie owes Stephen, which he lost in a bet years ago, a bet that Stephen would not be able to seduce Summer (or so Summer thinks, because that's what Reggie told her). Stephen knows the truth, that all he's ever wanted from Summer is her love. With the help of a magic coin and the mysterious Suite 606, the truth will come out.
This one overdid it a bit with the paranormal stuff. A ghost, a deal with a demon, a magic coin, and a mysterious Suite 606 which invites the truth to come out. Oh, come on. I loved the mood of this story at first, and was looking forward to seeing Summer and Stephen become the couple they would've been if Reggie hadn't been so selfish and greedy. As all the paranormal stuff started piling up, however, it became increasingly laughable that Summer and Stephen were meant to be together. Two people who are meant to be together shouldn't need this much magic to bring them together.
I'm glad that this wasn't longer than it was - not only would all of the Great Misunderstanding stuff have become even more unbearable, but I'm sure Kitty, Summer and Reggie's daughter, would've become hideously grating. As it was, she was hardly in the story and I still disliked her. Not much really does happen in the story, which alternates between the present, with Summer trying to deal with the aftermath of Reggie's death, and the past, how the misunderstanding came into being. Personally, I can't believe she trusted Reggie's word for so long - he's such a pathological liar, but it seems she has only caught him on a fraction of those lies over the years.
Remember how I said that the only author in this anthology I'd read anything by before was J.D. Robb? At this point in the anthology, I had the distinct impression that I was missing out because of this. This story had what I thought were weird cameos from the the author's other books - it wasn't until the final story that I found out I was mistaken. Until I discovered that, however, the "cameos" felt a bit out of place - plus, I was annoyed that the author didn't explain them.
"Cold Case" by Ruth Ryan Langan
Sam Hunter doesn't know what he wants to do with his life anymore or where he wants to be - all he knows is that he no longer wants to be a cop surrounded by all the cops who used to know his partner. Sam's partner took a bullet meant for him, and now Sam just wants to get away and heal. He decides to go to an area he hasn't seen since college, but ends up getting into a car accident during a snow storm. He finds himself stranded at a place called Storm Hill, with a beautiful woman named Mary Catherine, her 16-year old sister Anna, and Hoag, their angry, forbidding stepfather. Sam, who is usually adept at restraining his emotions, finds himself overcome by passionate feelings for Mary Catherine, feelings which she shares - it's not a comfortable situation for either of them, especially with Hoag's threatening presence so close by.
Mary Catherine says Hoag is worried that she or her sister might do the same thing their mother did, and run off with a secret lover. Mary Catherine swears to her sister that she won't run off with Sam, although Sam comes to feel that it would be best for her to leave with him, either alone or with Anna. Neither Mary Catherine nor Anna ever thought their mother would leave without them - and did she really?
This story is really predictable - I figured out what happened to their mother well before the story ended. I also figured out pretty quickly that Sam had to be dreaming, time traveling, or somehow seeing the past in the some other way. I kind of thought maybe he was meant to stop some past murders, or at least reveal the truth of those murders in the present day, but Sam does neither of those things. Instead, he meets one of Anna and Mary Catherine's descendants and falls in love with her, only pages after Mary Catherine, who he had had such passionate feelings for, dies - it makes him look a bit fickle. Also, him getting over the death of his partner was very sudden and unrealistic, like a bolt of lightning provided by the wonderful Mary Catherine. Oh, gag me with a spoon. Like J.D. Robb's story, this one felt like it would've been stronger if the author had just concentrated on writing a really good mystery and left all the romance out. I do like romance, really I do, but it is so rarely done well in short stories.
Like the previous story, this one has a strange moment that appears as though it might be a cameo of some of the author's regular characters from something else, although at least this time the "cameo" was brief enough and unremarkable enough that I didn't really feel like I was missing out on anything. At the time, I just felt it was a little odd.
"Wayward Wizard" by Mary Kay McComas
Marie takes her son Hugh to a museum, hoping desperately that she will eventually be able to re-connect with him and win back his trust. A while back, she was in an accident and was in a lot of pain while she recovered. She became addicted to painkillers and her husband eventually divorced her. It hasn't been easy, but Marie is now finally starting to put her life back together. Her ex-husband has already moved on, but she's still got a chance with Hugh.
While at the museum, both Hugh and Marie end up getting sent to a different time and place after messing around with a strange stone. They end up in the company of a wizard named Nester who had been hoping that one of them would bring the stone with them - that stone, together with the one he already possessed, would've fully augmented his power, and he could easily have sent Hugh and Marie back home. However, without the second stone, Nester is limited to two or three jumps in time and space per day, with only a little control over where they all end up. His jumps take them to the New York of Marie and Hugh's future, where they see J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas. Nester's jumps also take them to the parts of the second and third stories that I had thought were cameos, as well as to a few other times and places.
During Nester's resting periods, Marie and Nester get to know each other better and eventually become lovers, and Marie and Hugh begin to mend their relationship. The big question is, once Marie and Hugh get home, what will Marie do? Will she stay in her own time and continue to work on her relationship with her son under her ex-husband's watchful eye, or will she go with Nester, the man she has come to love, back to his own time and place?
I can't say I found the romance in this story to be very exciting - it's a little hard to have an exciting romance when the hero and heroine are constantly accompanied by the heroine's young son. The tension between Marie and Hugh was pretty interesting, though - I think I might've enjoyed reading more about the two of them slowly mending their relationship.
The completely unexpected way this story linked all the other stories together grabbed my interest, too. Unfortunately, like I said, it was completely unexpected - if I weren't the sort to force myself to finish nearly any book I start, I might've given up on this anthology before reading this story and missed the explanation for the "cameos." Plus, there was something just a little... messy about it all. Langan and, especially, Blayney both seemed very much aware of what McComas planned to do with her story - both authors' stories incorporated appearances by Marie, Hugh, and Nester. However, unless I missed it, it looks like no one told Nora Roberts (aka J.D. Robb) anything, because, despite the group's brief encounter with Eve Dallas, I don't believe they ever show up in Robb's story.
Robb appears to have written her story under the impression that Suite 606 was what would be tying the anthology together. The other three authors made weak attempts, sometimes very weak, at incorporating Suite 606 into their stories, but it seems as though the anthology would have been stronger if they had dropped Suite 606 (which, at various points in the anthology, was a satanic ritual site, a love nest that promotes truth, an interesting coincidence, and an unimportant detail) and focused on the Hugh/Marie/Nester link instead. I wonder if Robb had already written her story before this anthology was put together, and the other authors just planned things around her?
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
"Ritual in Death" by J.D. Robb
Eve Dallas is at a party with her husband when, surprise surprise, a disoriented man turns up, covered in blood and holding a knife. The man, a doctor, has recently killed a woman in Suite 606 in one of Roarke's own buildings. As Eve investigates, she discovers that the man is, in his own way, a victim too, unwillingly made to take part in some kind of satanic ritual. Because the murder happened in Roarke's hotel and involved the compromising of his usually tight security, Roarke conducts his own investigation, bringing in Isis, the witch from Ceremony in Death. Eve isn't happy, but she'll take whatever information she can get if it can help her bring down the people involved in this murder.
It's not a great story, but it's got the usual "in Death" feel. Except, you know, for all the psychic stuff. Usually, Eve does more investigating than this - you might think the psychic help was intended to speed things up, since short stories have greater limitations than novels, but Isis's help was never actually used. All she did was confirm what Eve had already figured out. A bit lame, if you ask me. I had almost forgotten that Isis existed, actually, and found the "something" between her and Roarke to be somewhat annoying. By the way, these satanic killers were a bit stupid, if they could be so easily caught. Also, Eve and Roarke's sex scene in the police station shower - huh?! It's incredibly out of character for Eve, who still flinches at the thought of her coworkers catching her kissing her husband. Sex in the showers at work is edging towards the realm of sex on her office desk - true, Roarke needed some time with her, but was this really necessary? Yes, this is a romance anthology (not that you can tell from the cover), but the sex felt tacked on and, if you know anything about the characters, inappropriate.
"Love Endures" by Mary Blayney
Summer is not surprised that her husband Reggie is off somewhere, either drinking or gambling the family's money away. She is shocked, however, when Lord Stephen Bradley shows up to tell her that he was killed by thieves. She's not sure how she will cope. She has a young daughter to take care of, Reggie's debts to pay off, and less money than she tries to let on. Things only get worse when she finds out that her husband's ghost is haunting his bedroom - apparently, he can't leave until the wrongs he did while he was alive have been taken care of, because he made some kind of deal with a demon (or spirit, or angel). Summer is desperate to get him to leave, because his presence reminds her of all the ways he hurt their family - while he was alive, his charm tended to override her anger, but his charm doesn't seem to work on her the way it once did. One debt she swears she will take care of is the 150 pounds Reggie owes Stephen, which he lost in a bet years ago, a bet that Stephen would not be able to seduce Summer (or so Summer thinks, because that's what Reggie told her). Stephen knows the truth, that all he's ever wanted from Summer is her love. With the help of a magic coin and the mysterious Suite 606, the truth will come out.
This one overdid it a bit with the paranormal stuff. A ghost, a deal with a demon, a magic coin, and a mysterious Suite 606 which invites the truth to come out. Oh, come on. I loved the mood of this story at first, and was looking forward to seeing Summer and Stephen become the couple they would've been if Reggie hadn't been so selfish and greedy. As all the paranormal stuff started piling up, however, it became increasingly laughable that Summer and Stephen were meant to be together. Two people who are meant to be together shouldn't need this much magic to bring them together.
I'm glad that this wasn't longer than it was - not only would all of the Great Misunderstanding stuff have become even more unbearable, but I'm sure Kitty, Summer and Reggie's daughter, would've become hideously grating. As it was, she was hardly in the story and I still disliked her. Not much really does happen in the story, which alternates between the present, with Summer trying to deal with the aftermath of Reggie's death, and the past, how the misunderstanding came into being. Personally, I can't believe she trusted Reggie's word for so long - he's such a pathological liar, but it seems she has only caught him on a fraction of those lies over the years.
Remember how I said that the only author in this anthology I'd read anything by before was J.D. Robb? At this point in the anthology, I had the distinct impression that I was missing out because of this. This story had what I thought were weird cameos from the the author's other books - it wasn't until the final story that I found out I was mistaken. Until I discovered that, however, the "cameos" felt a bit out of place - plus, I was annoyed that the author didn't explain them.
"Cold Case" by Ruth Ryan Langan
Sam Hunter doesn't know what he wants to do with his life anymore or where he wants to be - all he knows is that he no longer wants to be a cop surrounded by all the cops who used to know his partner. Sam's partner took a bullet meant for him, and now Sam just wants to get away and heal. He decides to go to an area he hasn't seen since college, but ends up getting into a car accident during a snow storm. He finds himself stranded at a place called Storm Hill, with a beautiful woman named Mary Catherine, her 16-year old sister Anna, and Hoag, their angry, forbidding stepfather. Sam, who is usually adept at restraining his emotions, finds himself overcome by passionate feelings for Mary Catherine, feelings which she shares - it's not a comfortable situation for either of them, especially with Hoag's threatening presence so close by.
Mary Catherine says Hoag is worried that she or her sister might do the same thing their mother did, and run off with a secret lover. Mary Catherine swears to her sister that she won't run off with Sam, although Sam comes to feel that it would be best for her to leave with him, either alone or with Anna. Neither Mary Catherine nor Anna ever thought their mother would leave without them - and did she really?
This story is really predictable - I figured out what happened to their mother well before the story ended. I also figured out pretty quickly that Sam had to be dreaming, time traveling, or somehow seeing the past in the some other way. I kind of thought maybe he was meant to stop some past murders, or at least reveal the truth of those murders in the present day, but Sam does neither of those things. Instead, he meets one of Anna and Mary Catherine's descendants and falls in love with her, only pages after Mary Catherine, who he had had such passionate feelings for, dies - it makes him look a bit fickle. Also, him getting over the death of his partner was very sudden and unrealistic, like a bolt of lightning provided by the wonderful Mary Catherine. Oh, gag me with a spoon. Like J.D. Robb's story, this one felt like it would've been stronger if the author had just concentrated on writing a really good mystery and left all the romance out. I do like romance, really I do, but it is so rarely done well in short stories.
Like the previous story, this one has a strange moment that appears as though it might be a cameo of some of the author's regular characters from something else, although at least this time the "cameo" was brief enough and unremarkable enough that I didn't really feel like I was missing out on anything. At the time, I just felt it was a little odd.
"Wayward Wizard" by Mary Kay McComas
Marie takes her son Hugh to a museum, hoping desperately that she will eventually be able to re-connect with him and win back his trust. A while back, she was in an accident and was in a lot of pain while she recovered. She became addicted to painkillers and her husband eventually divorced her. It hasn't been easy, but Marie is now finally starting to put her life back together. Her ex-husband has already moved on, but she's still got a chance with Hugh.
While at the museum, both Hugh and Marie end up getting sent to a different time and place after messing around with a strange stone. They end up in the company of a wizard named Nester who had been hoping that one of them would bring the stone with them - that stone, together with the one he already possessed, would've fully augmented his power, and he could easily have sent Hugh and Marie back home. However, without the second stone, Nester is limited to two or three jumps in time and space per day, with only a little control over where they all end up. His jumps take them to the New York of Marie and Hugh's future, where they see J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas. Nester's jumps also take them to the parts of the second and third stories that I had thought were cameos, as well as to a few other times and places.
During Nester's resting periods, Marie and Nester get to know each other better and eventually become lovers, and Marie and Hugh begin to mend their relationship. The big question is, once Marie and Hugh get home, what will Marie do? Will she stay in her own time and continue to work on her relationship with her son under her ex-husband's watchful eye, or will she go with Nester, the man she has come to love, back to his own time and place?
I can't say I found the romance in this story to be very exciting - it's a little hard to have an exciting romance when the hero and heroine are constantly accompanied by the heroine's young son. The tension between Marie and Hugh was pretty interesting, though - I think I might've enjoyed reading more about the two of them slowly mending their relationship.
The completely unexpected way this story linked all the other stories together grabbed my interest, too. Unfortunately, like I said, it was completely unexpected - if I weren't the sort to force myself to finish nearly any book I start, I might've given up on this anthology before reading this story and missed the explanation for the "cameos." Plus, there was something just a little... messy about it all. Langan and, especially, Blayney both seemed very much aware of what McComas planned to do with her story - both authors' stories incorporated appearances by Marie, Hugh, and Nester. However, unless I missed it, it looks like no one told Nora Roberts (aka J.D. Robb) anything, because, despite the group's brief encounter with Eve Dallas, I don't believe they ever show up in Robb's story.
Robb appears to have written her story under the impression that Suite 606 was what would be tying the anthology together. The other three authors made weak attempts, sometimes very weak, at incorporating Suite 606 into their stories, but it seems as though the anthology would have been stronger if they had dropped Suite 606 (which, at various points in the anthology, was a satanic ritual site, a love nest that promotes truth, an interesting coincidence, and an unimportant detail) and focused on the Hugh/Marie/Nester link instead. I wonder if Robb had already written her story before this anthology was put together, and the other authors just planned things around her?
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2008
A great anthology!
Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb ~ While attending a fancy party, Eve and Roarke are thrown into another mystery when a stranger, naked and covered in blood head to toe, holding a knife in his hand, stumbles into the room from down the hall. But Jackson Pike doesn’t remember what happened, and the more he tries, the more the pain in his head becomes intolerable. Other witnesses are like Pike: unable to remember and too much pain. But that doesn’t stop the team from bringing down the murderers.
Another incredible story in the series, even if it is shorter than usual. I really like how Eve follows her instincts, and no matter the argument between her and Roarke, they still manage to come to the same conclusion. What I liked in this one was how Eve was forced, once again, to think outside the conventional box. Excellent mystery and decisive detective work along with colourful, believable and incredible characters make for one hell of a story.
Love Endures by Mary Blayney ~ A man is robbed and murdered after winning a large some at betting. Grieving, his widow and daughter take off for the country for a few months, only to return to find his ghost is haunting his room, and the one way he can leave, at least by way of Heaven, he needs to right his past wrongs. But can trusts and broken hearts be mended?
Oh, you bet! I loved how this story came about. I truly adored Summer’s ‘I’ll be damned - come hell or high water’ attitude when she finds the ghost of her husband talking to her daughter. She’s known that he’s lied, even worse with the dire enough situations he’s left her in. Having lied to even his own brother, now he won’t trust Summer either. But the worst was finding out that he lied to both, Summer, and his best friend, Lord Stephen Bradley. Summer and Stephen had fallen in love right before her wedding to Reggie, but he wanted the money their marriage could bring him, and lied to them both. To him, it was a bet and nothing more - he liked to win. I was truly glad that, although they butted heads, Summer and Stephen finally found the truth and sent Reggie on his way.
Cold Case by Ruth Ryan Langan ~ When his partner is shot and killed by a bullet meant for him, Sam Hunter quits the force and decides to revisit a small a town in Vermont where he spent a long-ago college semester. But it seems his hotel room was given to someone else and he’s forced out into a storm, in search of a bed & breakfast he remembered. A flash of something looking like a woman forces him to slam on his brakes and straight into a ditch. Slightly wounded, he gets out of the car in search of the woman he saw when he stumbles onto a house named Storm Hill. He’s invited in by Mary Catherine McGivern and her younger sister, Anna. While her stepfather has allowed him to stay until the storm passes, he becomes more and more agitated - seems that their mother, his wife, had supposedly run off with a hired hand, and he’s refused to keep a stranger in his house for long since then. But unexpectedly, Sam and Mary Catherine fall in love, with a sad, and happy, ending?
I have to say it even if it hurts me to: I wasn’t impressed with this one. And I have never, ever, said that about a Ruth Langan story in my life! While I really felt Sam and his pain, I felt nothing for Mary Catherine or her sister. None, nada, zip, zilch. I didn’t feel them falling in love whatsoever, and the ending infuriated me. Why she would push him out of the way of a blow meant for him, ending her own life, the same as his partner did, had me upset and angry in disbelief. To give a man who endured so much a second blow was enough to make me livid. And while he learns the truth about their mother and what Hoag has done, not once now but twice, he’s thrown out into the ice storm by Hoag who intends for him to disappear and die in it. But then Sam comes to, a woman helps him out of the car, onto a snowmobile and into the bed and breakfast, Storm Hill. It seems that Kate is related to the family who has owned the land for centuries. Seems Anna had managed to escape Hoag, and once Hoag died, the land was returned to the McGiverns. But then we’re left with speculation as to what Sam is going to do next. Seems that Kate is just as beautiful as Mary Catherine. But I got the willies when it’s suggested that he may fall in love with Kate and stay - when shortly before, he had been in love with her great-great-aunt. Only one word came to mind with that: Ewe! Sorry, Ms. Langan, but I just didn’t feel it this time, and that almost makes me want to cry! I’ve never disliked any of your stories, but this one just didn’t cut it for me.
Wayward Wizard by Mary Kay McComas ~ On an unsupervised visit with her son, Marie Barnett takes her son Hugh to a baseball exhibit at a museum. Once done there, they vist another exhibit when lightening from a storm raging outside plays havoc with the lights and security system. Hugh touches, fiddles with one of the exhibits and disappears. Having seen what he son had done, Marie does the same, and ends up where he is, several centuries before their time, in the home of Nester Baraka of Viator, a wizard who supposedly can displace time with the help of two stone, Petroleon and Sellithos. But Sellithos had been stolen from him long ago. He wants to get it back, and he’s hoping he can jump with them through time and find it, returning them to their rightful place. Meanwhile, Marie and Hugh grow closer, his anger at his mother slowly ebbing. And Marie and Nester seem to be falling in love, dispite how badly they fight it, for he needs to return to his time, while she must stay in hers.
Oh, I loved this story! We hear the explanation from Marie about why her son is angry with her. Now only do we feel that anger towards her as well, but we feel a great deal of empathy for Marie as well. For Marie has gone to hell and back, not once, but twice. An accident that causes her to lose her unborn baby, an addiction to prescription meds, rehab, a relapse, and a longer time in rehab. While her now ex-husband is understanding enough to help her with rehab the second time around, her son is resentful, for Marie was supposed to get better the first time around and come back for him. But this time, she’s kicked her habit and has promised herself and her son that she’ll never go back to who she was. But it’s taking more time than she’d like. It was great to see them jumping to different time periods, the details are spectacular. And I loved watching Nester become aquainted with they way we speak, our phrases and sayings. Watching the banter back and forth between the three is excellent.
What I thought was great: how Nester, Marie and Hugh are tied into all four stories. We get a glimpse of them in the first three, and it’s fun watching them pop up into the stories while McComas is telling hers. I got a kick out of that. Ladies, I hope you collaborate again - this was fun!
Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb ~ While attending a fancy party, Eve and Roarke are thrown into another mystery when a stranger, naked and covered in blood head to toe, holding a knife in his hand, stumbles into the room from down the hall. But Jackson Pike doesn’t remember what happened, and the more he tries, the more the pain in his head becomes intolerable. Other witnesses are like Pike: unable to remember and too much pain. But that doesn’t stop the team from bringing down the murderers.
Another incredible story in the series, even if it is shorter than usual. I really like how Eve follows her instincts, and no matter the argument between her and Roarke, they still manage to come to the same conclusion. What I liked in this one was how Eve was forced, once again, to think outside the conventional box. Excellent mystery and decisive detective work along with colourful, believable and incredible characters make for one hell of a story.
Love Endures by Mary Blayney ~ A man is robbed and murdered after winning a large some at betting. Grieving, his widow and daughter take off for the country for a few months, only to return to find his ghost is haunting his room, and the one way he can leave, at least by way of Heaven, he needs to right his past wrongs. But can trusts and broken hearts be mended?
Oh, you bet! I loved how this story came about. I truly adored Summer’s ‘I’ll be damned - come hell or high water’ attitude when she finds the ghost of her husband talking to her daughter. She’s known that he’s lied, even worse with the dire enough situations he’s left her in. Having lied to even his own brother, now he won’t trust Summer either. But the worst was finding out that he lied to both, Summer, and his best friend, Lord Stephen Bradley. Summer and Stephen had fallen in love right before her wedding to Reggie, but he wanted the money their marriage could bring him, and lied to them both. To him, it was a bet and nothing more - he liked to win. I was truly glad that, although they butted heads, Summer and Stephen finally found the truth and sent Reggie on his way.
Cold Case by Ruth Ryan Langan ~ When his partner is shot and killed by a bullet meant for him, Sam Hunter quits the force and decides to revisit a small a town in Vermont where he spent a long-ago college semester. But it seems his hotel room was given to someone else and he’s forced out into a storm, in search of a bed & breakfast he remembered. A flash of something looking like a woman forces him to slam on his brakes and straight into a ditch. Slightly wounded, he gets out of the car in search of the woman he saw when he stumbles onto a house named Storm Hill. He’s invited in by Mary Catherine McGivern and her younger sister, Anna. While her stepfather has allowed him to stay until the storm passes, he becomes more and more agitated - seems that their mother, his wife, had supposedly run off with a hired hand, and he’s refused to keep a stranger in his house for long since then. But unexpectedly, Sam and Mary Catherine fall in love, with a sad, and happy, ending?
I have to say it even if it hurts me to: I wasn’t impressed with this one. And I have never, ever, said that about a Ruth Langan story in my life! While I really felt Sam and his pain, I felt nothing for Mary Catherine or her sister. None, nada, zip, zilch. I didn’t feel them falling in love whatsoever, and the ending infuriated me. Why she would push him out of the way of a blow meant for him, ending her own life, the same as his partner did, had me upset and angry in disbelief. To give a man who endured so much a second blow was enough to make me livid. And while he learns the truth about their mother and what Hoag has done, not once now but twice, he’s thrown out into the ice storm by Hoag who intends for him to disappear and die in it. But then Sam comes to, a woman helps him out of the car, onto a snowmobile and into the bed and breakfast, Storm Hill. It seems that Kate is related to the family who has owned the land for centuries. Seems Anna had managed to escape Hoag, and once Hoag died, the land was returned to the McGiverns. But then we’re left with speculation as to what Sam is going to do next. Seems that Kate is just as beautiful as Mary Catherine. But I got the willies when it’s suggested that he may fall in love with Kate and stay - when shortly before, he had been in love with her great-great-aunt. Only one word came to mind with that: Ewe! Sorry, Ms. Langan, but I just didn’t feel it this time, and that almost makes me want to cry! I’ve never disliked any of your stories, but this one just didn’t cut it for me.
Wayward Wizard by Mary Kay McComas ~ On an unsupervised visit with her son, Marie Barnett takes her son Hugh to a baseball exhibit at a museum. Once done there, they vist another exhibit when lightening from a storm raging outside plays havoc with the lights and security system. Hugh touches, fiddles with one of the exhibits and disappears. Having seen what he son had done, Marie does the same, and ends up where he is, several centuries before their time, in the home of Nester Baraka of Viator, a wizard who supposedly can displace time with the help of two stone, Petroleon and Sellithos. But Sellithos had been stolen from him long ago. He wants to get it back, and he’s hoping he can jump with them through time and find it, returning them to their rightful place. Meanwhile, Marie and Hugh grow closer, his anger at his mother slowly ebbing. And Marie and Nester seem to be falling in love, dispite how badly they fight it, for he needs to return to his time, while she must stay in hers.
Oh, I loved this story! We hear the explanation from Marie about why her son is angry with her. Now only do we feel that anger towards her as well, but we feel a great deal of empathy for Marie as well. For Marie has gone to hell and back, not once, but twice. An accident that causes her to lose her unborn baby, an addiction to prescription meds, rehab, a relapse, and a longer time in rehab. While her now ex-husband is understanding enough to help her with rehab the second time around, her son is resentful, for Marie was supposed to get better the first time around and come back for him. But this time, she’s kicked her habit and has promised herself and her son that she’ll never go back to who she was. But it’s taking more time than she’d like. It was great to see them jumping to different time periods, the details are spectacular. And I loved watching Nester become aquainted with they way we speak, our phrases and sayings. Watching the banter back and forth between the three is excellent.
What I thought was great: how Nester, Marie and Hugh are tied into all four stories. We get a glimpse of them in the first three, and it’s fun watching them pop up into the stories while McComas is telling hers. I got a kick out of that. Ladies, I hope you collaborate again - this was fun!
February 4, 2023
Disclaimer: This review is ONLY for Suite 606 by J.D. Robb
I recently bought a book on sale which contains three novellas by Robb that are from the In Death universe. I didn’t know that these stories take place in the not so distant future. This genre is apparently called urban fantasy and so far… I hate it. I’m almost through with the third story (about a murder on a ferry with no corpse or murderer and a woman who lost her memory for a short while; the first one was about a model who’s killed by a vampire) and boy will I be glad when I’m through.
I don’t know if the translator tried to translate 1:1 or if it’s the German language and the translator’s style is not for me. If it’s the former, I won’t be reading another book of this series. If it’s the latter, I hope the translator won’t translate another book.
As for the futuristic aspect: no thank you. Police having a key for EVERY HOUSE IN THE CITY? No thank you, I value my privacy.
Machines that prepare food called AutoChef where you pre-put in what you want to eat? Is this some kind of astronauts food? „Hand computers“? What is that supposed to mean? Tablets? What a stupid name. And what in the world are those „Links“? Equivalent to the modern cell phone? I don’t know, these names weirded me out.
Then the droid thing. Ugh. What do people during all their free time if they have a droid for housekeeping?
That world is much too dependent on tech and I know that we’re on our way to this in real life and it CREEPS ME OUT. I love my smartphone and tablet and laptop but I would HATE to live in a world where surveillance and stuff is that much progressed.
As for the characters: Eve is somebody I wouldn’t want to meet ever. She’s all high and mighty and constantly complains and I wonder what her qualities are that make her such a good detective. Her sarcasm is borderline mean and I hate her. Also her hair. What kind of Karen haircut are we talking about? Is it some kind of early-Castle-seasons-Becket cut? I found that one fugly tbh.
Roark: What the… He’s mega rich (naturally). He’s a tech wizard (of course). He owns a hotel (ok - but in the vampire murder story he was in finance or something?). And now he also develops things? I bet he can also cook like a pro, is an Olympic medalist for every sport there is and speaks all the 279 languages in the world. If he’s so good-looking and smart and nice and whatever, what did he ever find appealing in Eve?
Then McNab or whatever his name is with his gazillion piercings. His clothes are… questionable and not even in this modern world would his style be something worn on the street. Neon green with big yellow polka dots? I know that colour blocking is a thing but what he wears is something available for a carnival.
The only normal one seems to be Peabody. She’s ok.
Again, I don’t know if it’s the translation or if the author is just not for me. I’ll try and find some excerpt in English to see if maybe the writing style is bearable. The characters, especially the main one, are not.
I recently bought a book on sale which contains three novellas by Robb that are from the In Death universe. I didn’t know that these stories take place in the not so distant future. This genre is apparently called urban fantasy and so far… I hate it. I’m almost through with the third story (about a murder on a ferry with no corpse or murderer and a woman who lost her memory for a short while; the first one was about a model who’s killed by a vampire) and boy will I be glad when I’m through.
I don’t know if the translator tried to translate 1:1 or if it’s the German language and the translator’s style is not for me. If it’s the former, I won’t be reading another book of this series. If it’s the latter, I hope the translator won’t translate another book.
As for the futuristic aspect: no thank you. Police having a key for EVERY HOUSE IN THE CITY? No thank you, I value my privacy.
Machines that prepare food called AutoChef where you pre-put in what you want to eat? Is this some kind of astronauts food? „Hand computers“? What is that supposed to mean? Tablets? What a stupid name. And what in the world are those „Links“? Equivalent to the modern cell phone? I don’t know, these names weirded me out.
Then the droid thing. Ugh. What do people during all their free time if they have a droid for housekeeping?
That world is much too dependent on tech and I know that we’re on our way to this in real life and it CREEPS ME OUT. I love my smartphone and tablet and laptop but I would HATE to live in a world where surveillance and stuff is that much progressed.
As for the characters: Eve is somebody I wouldn’t want to meet ever. She’s all high and mighty and constantly complains and I wonder what her qualities are that make her such a good detective. Her sarcasm is borderline mean and I hate her. Also her hair. What kind of Karen haircut are we talking about? Is it some kind of early-Castle-seasons-Becket cut? I found that one fugly tbh.
Roark: What the… He’s mega rich (naturally). He’s a tech wizard (of course). He owns a hotel (ok - but in the vampire murder story he was in finance or something?). And now he also develops things? I bet he can also cook like a pro, is an Olympic medalist for every sport there is and speaks all the 279 languages in the world. If he’s so good-looking and smart and nice and whatever, what did he ever find appealing in Eve?
Then McNab or whatever his name is with his gazillion piercings. His clothes are… questionable and not even in this modern world would his style be something worn on the street. Neon green with big yellow polka dots? I know that colour blocking is a thing but what he wears is something available for a carnival.
The only normal one seems to be Peabody. She’s ok.
Again, I don’t know if it’s the translation or if the author is just not for me. I’ll try and find some excerpt in English to see if maybe the writing style is bearable. The characters, especially the main one, are not.
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